The TV Licence fee is about to go up. So what can you do to save money on your TV Licence? Do you even need a TV Licence? We find out.

Save money by cashing in your TV Licence today

Paying your TV Licence is expensive. Not paying may be more expensive still

With so many bills to pay and so little cash to go round, the £145.50 annual requirement for a TV Licence - and soon to be £147 from 1 April 2017 - is by some people purposely overlooked. But this small saving can later cost you dearly: watching live TV without a valid licence is a criminal offence, which can lead to prosecution, a court appearance and a fine of up to £1,000 plus legal costs. Also see: Best TV deals

There's a good chance that those who don't own a licence but do watch live TV will be caught out, too. If your home doesn't have a TV Licence, you are already on the TV Licensing authority's database; don't make the mistake of thinking the TV Licensing authority will simply take your word for it if you say you don't own a TV. Enforcement officers allegedly carry handheld signal-detection devices and have access to a fleet of vans that can quickly identify TV-receiving equipment at targeted addresses.

There are ways you can save money on your TV Licence, of course. If you're prepared to watch black-and-white TV the licence will cost you a more manageable £49 per year, while over-75s can apply for a free licence. If you're registered blind or severely sight-impaired you qualify for a discount; those who live in your home can benefit by transferring the licence into your name. If you're a student, you can also get a refund for the summer months that you spend away from uni. But if you really want to avoid paying the TV Licence fee, just don't watch live TV.

In the past catch-up TV has been a loophole, and has not required you to own a TV Licence. As of September 2016 you'll still be able to watch some catch-up TV without a TV Licence, but the law is about to change for BBC iPlayer. Watch the RHS Chelsea Flow Show 2017 online.

Do I need a TV Licence to watch BBC iPlayer?

As of 1 September 2016, you are now required to hold a TV Licence in order to watch catch-up TV through BBC iPlayer. This change affects only iPlayer - you will still be able to watch catch-up TV from other channels without a TV Licence. Also see: How to watch BBC iPlayer abroad

Previously, you could watch catch-up content on demand without a licence. While it's still unclear how the BBC will police those without a licence, it's a sign that the broadcaster is seeing the financial downside to allowing people to watch their content for free.

Right now you simply get a pop-up asking whether you have a TV Licence, but from early 2017 you will need to use a free BBC account. Part of the sign-up process will require inputting your postcode, though the BBC says it won't be used to enforce the licence fee.

Proposed earlier this year, culture secretary John Whittingdale said of the amendment: "When the licence fee was invented, video on demand did not exist. And while the definition of television in the legislation covers live streaming, it does not require viewers to have a licence if they watch BBC programmes through iPlayer even if it is just a few minutes after transmission."

"The BBC works on the basis that all who watch it pay for it. Giving a free ride to those who enjoy Sherlock or Bake Off an hour, a day or a week after they are broadcast was never intended and is wrong," continued Whittingdale.

Do I still need a TV Licence?

The thought of not having a TV Licence would have been laughable only a few years ago. But, today, with fast broadband available to more of us than ever, a range of online catch-up TV solutions, YouTube and other web video sites, LoveFilm/Amazon Prime Instant Video, Netflix, DVDs and Blu-ray, it's quite possible to get your telly fix without parting with the annual premium. Potentially, you could even start saving right now, and cash in what's left of your TV Licence today.

In simple terms, a TV Licence is required to watch only live TV broadcasts, whether that's on a TV, a PC, a laptop, a smartphone or a tablet. If you are using some sort of time-shifting technology to pause, rewind, fast-forward and record programmes, this feed is still considered to be live and you will need a TV Licence. However, watch on-demand that content an hour or so later and it doesn't fall under this licensing requirement. Likewise, movies and online video do not demand ownership of a TV Licence.

The number of households that subscribe to broadband but do not hold a TV Licence is estimated to be very small.

Do I need a TV Licence to own a TV?

No, you do not need a TV Licence to own a TV. However, if the TV Licensing authority doesn't have you on its database it will send you a reminder to buy a TV Licence. If you are not using the equipment to watch live TV (for instance, it's hooked up only to a games console or used for playing training videos) you will need to declare this to the TV Licensing authority; it's possible that an enforcement officer will be sent to verify this is the case. However, according to the authority, one in five people are found to need a TV Licence; if this is you, you could face prosecution, a court appearance, and a fine of up to £1,000 (plus legal costs).

Do I need a TV Licence to watch TV on my smartphone, tablet or laptop?

You don't need a TV Licence to watch on-demand content on your smartphone, tablet or laptop. However, if the content is live, you will need a TV Licence to watch TV on a mobile device.

Your home's TV Licence also covers any device that is powered solely by its own batteries, wherever you are. This means, provided that you don't plug your device into the mains, you can watch live TV on a mobile phone, tablet or laptop inside a property that isn't covered by a TV Licence, such as when you're in a shop, bar or restaurant or at work. (You might get sacked, of course, so be careful.)

"As long as the address where you live is licensed, you’re also covered to watch TV outside your home using any device powered solely by its own internal batteries. This includes your mobile phone, laptop and tablet," according to the TV Licensing authority.

Do I need a TV Licence to watch catch-up TV?

No. Until September you do not need a TV Licence to watch BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, 4oD or any other on-demand TV service. However, any live features within these services, such as iPlayer's 'Watch Live' simulcast option, demand a licence.

From September 2016 you will need a TV Licence to watch BBC iPlayer, but you can continue watching other on-demand catch-up services without one.

According to the BBC, "A 'live' TV programme is a programme that is watched or recorded at the same time (or virtually the same time) as it is being broadcast or otherwise distributed to members of the public. As a general rule, if a person is watching a programme on a computer or other device at the same time as it is being shown on TV then the programme is 'live'. This is sometimes known as simulcasting.

"If you are using the live rewind function to either restart the current live programme or to rewind any live stream for up to 2 hours, a TV Licence is required as you are still accessing the live simulcasts."

Do I need a TV Licence to watch YouTube?

No, you do not need a TV Licence to watch YouTube videos: you are not watching live TV content as it is broadcast. TV programmes that are uploaded to the video site following their broadcast follow the same rules as catch-up TV.

Do I need a TV Licence to watch films?

A TV Licence is required to watch films only as they are broadcast on live TV. Films enjoyed following their broadcast via on-demand services, and those provided via DVD or Blu-ray, are not subject to the licensing requirement.

Do I need a TV LIcence to watch Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video?

No, you do not need a TV Licence to watch Netflix or LoveFilm. The content provided by these services is offered on-demand; that is, it is not streamed as it is broadcast. If either service starts to stream live TV then a TV Licence will be required.

Do I need a TV Licence to watch TVCatchup?

Yes, you do need a TV Licence to watch TVCatchup. Some confusion may be caused by the naming of this service: rather than catch-up TV, it offers live broadcasts of free-to-air television programmes through a web browser or mobile app on your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. Since you are watching this content at the same time as it is broadcast on the TV, a TV Licence is required.

Do I need a TV Licence to watch Sky Go?

Yes, Sky Go demands a TV Licence. Regardless of whether you watch content from the BBC and other Freeview channels or stick to Sky's own programming, your home must be covered by a TV Licence if you subscribe to Sky. In this case, you will also be covered to watch live content from Sky using Sky Go on your smartphone, tablet or computer - and do so from outside the home, provided the device is powered solely by its own batteries. Although the catch-up content within Sky Go is technically exempt from the licensing requirement, a Sky subscription itself is not.

Comments

mkzero - 11:07 30-01-2017

"Enforcement officersallegedly carry handheld signal-detection devices and have access to a fleet of vans that can quickly identify TV-receiving equipment at targeted addresses."

So tell me, how is such a receiving deveice of those enforcement officers supposed to catch passive receivers in a home? What shall they go looking for? WiFi? 2.4GHz is a common frequency for so many things nowadays, even your lighting might use it. Or maybe digital satellite receivers? Good look detecting if there's an actual receiver or not.

This is one of those rumors that just can't be taken seriously by anyone who has even a slight idea on how electronics and electromagnetic waves work.

These rumors are simple fear-mongering in hopes people will pay because they might think "big brother sees everything". JFC, it should be a moral obligation to pay for (advertisement-)independent TV, but how can it be if the ones who get the money are using morally questionable tactics to retrieve it from you?

Lacrobat - 04:05 07-08-2016

"don't make the mistake of thinking the TV Licensing authority will simply take your word for it". Guilty until proven temporarily not guilty is the best you can hope for, even if you don't have a TV or watch live streams. Now they're claiming to be scanning data packets. The current situation is ludicrous and makes Britain a laughing stock globally with this neo-Stalinist nonsense. Encrypting iPlayer would have been a lot simpler.

Peter Breingan - 14:36 06-08-2016

If these alleged detectors hunt for WIFI signals I shall just switch off WIFI and use the ETHERNET connection on my hub. They won't detect that. But is this a smokescreen? I think it is possible to locate any IP address - is this possible? - I see it done on so many police dramas.

Skullet - 05:57 06-07-2016

"don't make the mistake of thinking the TV Licensing authority will simply take your word for it if you say you don't own a TV. Enforcement officers allegedly carry handheld signal-detection devices and have access to a fleet of vans that can quickly identify TV-receiving equipment at targeted addresses"

None of that is true. They absolutely have to take your word for it as they have no legal power to do anything else, you don't have to answer any of their questions and you can simply tell them to leave your property immediately, if they don't leave the police will remove them for you.

Those signal detectors and vans are a myth made up to fool stupid people like the person who wrote this article, a TV is a receiver not a transmitter. They have no legal power and no way to tell if you are watching live TV, so unless you are dumb enough to confess or you hand yourself in there is zero chance of them catching you.

Gary Brooks - 19:40 23-05-2016

The law is changing now. BBC Iplayer will require a licence to watch. But people can still watch recorded shows from sites such as http://WatchBritishTV.com

Ben zade - 16:29 17-03-2016

The Dealer Notification Scheme that required electrical dealers in the UK by law to pass on the home address details of anyone purchasing new television receiving equipment to TV Licensing ended on the 25th June 2013.

Electrical dealers should NOT be asking you for your personal details for this purpose anymore.

I agree with Windymac that this article is both poorly written and researched. For a start TV Licensing are NOT an "Authority" but a sub divison of the BBC who sub contract out the leg work of checking up on people without a TV Licence to a private company called Capita who will be the ones turning up on your doorstep.

Unless they are holding a search warrant then you are under no obligation to speak to them or let them into your home and you can order them to leave your property without answering any of their questions at any time and they MUST comply otherwise they are trespassing and you can call the Police to have them removed.

It seems you have just copied and pasted chunks from the advice section of the TV Licensings website which is poor lazy journalism.

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Simon - 19:50 02-07-2015

Out of curiosity, how on earth would the licensing lot know if you were watching live tv on your smartphone, in a field somewhere, on holiday?

Windymac - 09:25 14-04-2015

There's so much ill-informed nonsense in this article is difficult to know where to start. A tip for you - if you're going to carry an article on a subject then research the subject and write the fucking article yourself.Very disapponted in this site.

Binky - 07:55 14-09-2014

My backlight coverter has gone on tv (I know, it sounds painful), which means I can only now hear the tv, hence its not worth watching much. As articles keeps talking about you have to have a licence to watch tv DOES ANYONE AGREE THAT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE A LICENCE ?????

Ian Cogings - 21:06 06-08-2014

Matt Egan: Do your research before blabbing over me!

Channel 4 supports itself solely via advertising, programme sponsorship and commercial revenue and does not receive any of the licence fee.

Wes H. York III - 18:03 06-08-2014

Ian Cogings - 17:51 06-08-2014

It is a little known fact that some Samsung, Panasonic, Sony tv's emit a 3rd harmonic signal of 144 MHz, and can be received up to 10 metres away.

Ian Cogings - 17:38 06-08-2014

Matt Egan said: "but then I pay the licence (with pleasure actually, given the amount of NBC and Channel 4 content I consume)" Grow a brain, your licence fee does not fund those channels, so your statement is a joke

Karl - 17:28 06-08-2014

That’s very interesting, ive always been a bit confused bythe whole TV licence thing, I do own a TV, though it hasn’t been used in acouple of years but is still of decent value so I wouldn’t fancy throwing itout. All about the PC with Netflix/Youtube etc.

Do you know if these rules apply to Republic of Ireland also?I have heard there will soon be a universal media licence introduced in lieu ofthe TV licence, this will basically be a charge simply for owning a radio, oranything which you can access the media on.

Peter - 11:35 06-08-2014

"If your home doesn't have a TV Licence, you are already on the TV Licensing authority's database; don't make the mistake of thinking the TV Licensing authority will simply take your word for it if you say you don't own a TV. Enforcement officers carry handheld signal-detection devices and have access to a fleet of vans that can quickly identify TV-receiving equipment at targeted addresses."

Did they (TV Licensing's PR harlots) write this bit?

Anyone who doesn't receive TV programme services does not legally need a TV licence. People in that situation can (and should) safely ignore all of TV Licensing's farcical sabre-rattling.

blind man - 22:04 29-04-2014

something i don't get is, radio is free to listen to. listening to tv is free to listen to, if you have a special radio which picks up tv channel audio. if your blind you still have to pay a tv license.

Guermide - 10:08 23-02-2014

This article is miss leading and not correct.There is no such a thing called a high detection device to check the TV in people's home! The TV is a RECEIVER and do not emit any signal RF or EM or any other, I am very surprised to see this comment here?!Can you please provide proof about such a claim?I am estonished such a site claim to be technical and saying that there is a van with an antenna to target houses what a load of rubbish it is just one of their tactics to scare people no moe than that.Also I am questioning your credibility

jim davies - 05:34 26-01-2014

Here's the funny thing, it is the job of the inspector to prove you are watching live TV and they'll do anything to trick you into getting a live signal on your computer or television. That's why you don't let them into your home or give them any information as they'll distort the information to their advantage. Remember if they can trick you'll they'll make money for their masters.

Starance - 21:14 13-12-2013

People should simply stop paying. They don't have enough cells, and even time to prosecute that many people.

simple_man - 11:38 07-09-2013

If you didnt have a licence and watched a live program using BBC iPlayer on your computer how could they ever prove it, even if TV Licensing did come knocking on your door?

Is there a way of iPlayer tracking your activity? Would TV Licensing have the right of access to your computer?

Joe Donut - 22:18 14-05-2013

SkepticScott - 23:46 01-05-2013

" Enforcement officers carry handheld signal-detection devices and have access to a fleet of vans that can quickly identify TV-receiving equipment at targeted addresses"The above quote is absolute rubbish, it would be illegal for anyone to use such a device without a search warrant issued by the Courts, in order to get a warrant they would need to produce evidence that you are watching television without a license, if they have such evidence then they can get a search warrant. However even then you do not have to alow them entry to your home and they cannot force their way in. You would however be in contempt of a Court Order and would need to attend Court to explain why you did not alow entry.